Cmake generator expressions

Question

I'm trying for long time to understand the benefit of generator expressions such as $<xxx:yy> in CMake, when and how to use them. Can anybody explain it clearly with some examples. Many thank in advance

Answer 1

CMake does first parse the CMakeLists.txt files in your project - named "Configuration Phase" - and then it generates your build environment - named "Generation Phase".

So basically the generator expressions are for everything only the generator could know:

• The name and path of target outputs (mainly when cross-compiling and in multi-configuration environments)
• Or more generally any target property that the generator evaluates to mingle together the compiler/linker calls

Here are examples where I use generator expressions in my project:

1. Copying files next to the executable (in multi-configuration environments you can't just use variables like CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR)

   add_custom_command(
       TARGET library1 
       POST_BUILD
       COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy
           "$<TARGET_FILE:library1>"
           "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:mainProject>/$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:library1>"
   )
   

   CMake post-build-event: copy compiled libraries

   add_custom_command(
       TARGET myBinary 
       POST_BUILD
           COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy  
                        "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/myTest.txt" 
                        "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:myBinary>/myTest.txt"
   )
   

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2. Differentiate e.g. DEBUG or RELEASE configurations

   add_compile_options("$<$<CONFIG:DEBUG>:/MDd>")
   

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3. With the TARGET_PROPERTY generator expression you could do a lot of things e.g.

   file(GENERATE 
       OUTPUT "includes.txt" 
       CONTENT "$<TARGET_PROPERTY:motor,INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>\n"
   )
   

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